Introducing integrated case-based learning to clinical nutrition training and evaluating students' learning performance

Abstract

Objectives: Clinical nutrition training is an essential course for clinical nutrition and dietetics (CN&D) students. The training combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills. The goal is to prepare competent graduates for future practice. Case-based learning is an active learning method based on cases from the clinical setting. This study aimed to introduce an integrated case-based learning (ICBL) method to the clinical training of a cohort of CN&D students and to evaluate its impact on the students' knowledge of nutrition care process.

Methods: This action research project employed an ICBL-method of teaching in the clinical training of senior students in the CN&D course at the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Ten integrated case-based learning sessions were conducted with 29 students. The record of the nutrition care process was used to evaluate the learners' performance through a pretest-posttest mechanism. Furthermore, a focus group interview was conducted to determine the impact of the ICBL-based training on the students' learning experience.

Results: All of the students (100%) showed improvement in their learning. There was a 55% improvement in their grades. There was also self-perceived improvement of their life-long learning skills after the ICBL sessions.

Conclusion: Integraed case-based learning positively influenced learning among CN&D students. Consequently, the students were able to describe appropriate and individualized nutritional care plans. The students were satisfied with the training and considered ICBL to be an effective method of clinical training.

Keywords: Case-based learning; Clinical nutrition training; Integrated learning; Life-long learning; Nutrition care process.

Figure 1

Pretest-posttest NCP results.